Shoe sewing machine



June 29, 1937. E. E. WINKLEY SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 29, 1937.

SHOE SEWING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. E. WINKLEY 2,085,562

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE SEWING MACHINE Erastus E. Winkley, Lynn, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 18, 1936, Serial No. 64,495

13 Claims. (01. 112-34) larly disposed upper portion constructed with al work engaging tip, a needle receiving opening and needle threading, or other thread manipu- 10 latingdevices within the opening.

To permit sewing small pointed shoes in a machine of this type, the tip of the horn is made as small as possible. The needle receiving opening'is usually made concentric with the rotary axis of the horn at the center of the work engaging surface of the horn tip. Some machines heretofore constructed have been provided with thread fingers ,or other measuring devices for drawing an extra length of thread during formation of a stitch through the needle threading devices so that the thread between a previous stitch and the point of engagement with the 'needle in threading it will be sufficient to permit the needle to be withdrawn entirely from the work before the said thread length is pulled tight. In previous machines having a thread measuring finger, it has been necessary to increase the dimensions of the tip of the horn be cause the thread finger can act only at this location between the needle threading devices and the tip. This requires such an increase in dimensions at the horn tip as to cause difficulty in sewing small shoes or to render it inconvenient to guide a shoe properly in the machine without producing irregularities in the seam. Also, with a horn tip of such increased dimensions, it is impossible to guide the seam close to the edges of a shoe sole because the relatively greater distance between the needle receiving opening and the outer edges of the horn tip serves to gage the seam at a corresponding distance from the inner surfaces of the upstanding upper being sewed.

:The objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and improved sewing machine of the McKay type by which a more satisfactory seam may be sewed and in which the shoe may be manipulated and controlled more easily than heretofore. A more particular object of the invention" is to provide, in amachine of this type, ashoe supporting horn having devices for measuringthread between the last formed stitchin the work and the needle threading devices, withoutso'enlarging the dimensions of the horn tip asto renderdit difficult to form a seam close to:

the edge of a shoe sole. It is, accordingly, a feature of the invention to provide within the horn of a sewing machine of the McKay type a novel thread measuring device constructed and arranged to withdraw a supply of thread by winding it in a curved path within the confines of the horn tip so as to reduce the space requirements r for the measuring device in the tip as much as possible. feature of the invention, the thread guiding portion of the thread measuring device is formed with a convex surface surrounding the rotary axis of the horn.

To permit a seam to be formed close to an upstanding portion of a work piece, such as the inner surface of a shoe upper, when sewing the sole, the opening for receiving the needle of the machine embodying the present invention is disposed at one side of the rotary axis of the horn close to one edge of the horn tip rather than being concentric to the horn axis, and means is provided for maintaining the needle opening in alignment with the needle at all times, regardless of the angular position of the horn. As an additional precaution against improperly guiding the work, a further feature oiv the invention consists in providing a plate at the tip of the horn having a work supporting flange arranged at one side of the, horn tip to extend always in the line of feed from the needle opening, so that the presser foot and work feeding devices of the machine will cooperate with the supporting flange to guide and feed the work more efiectively.

These and other features of the invention will be readily understood by one skilled in the art from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a McKay sewing machine illustrating one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the actuating mechanisms of the machine; Figure 3 is a detail view, partly in section, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the needle engaging the work; Figure 4 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the work supporting tip portion of the horn in the machine; Figure 5 is a similar view of the horn tip with a work supporting plate removed; Figure 6 is a partial sectional view, taken along the line 6--6 of Figure 4; Figure '7 is a partial sectional view, taken along the line 'I! of Figure l; Figures 8, 9 and 10 are plan successive positions assumed during measure- In the illustrated embodiment of this 45 and the. endof the hollow-.shaftportion 41 ismounted a horn supporting bearing 48.31,

The driving connections for the thread measuring disk member l8 comprise a bevel gear 52 at the lower endof the shaft 20to which the disk is secured, a bevel gear 54 meshing with gear 52, an inclined hollow shaft 55 rotatable within the tubular shaft 38, on the upper end of which inclined shaftthe gear is secured, a bevel gear 58 at the lower end of shaft 55 engaging a similar gear 60 at the upper end of a drilled. shaft 6| within the shaft 42,. the lower end of which drilled shaft, carries a beveled gear 52 meshing with a gear 63 at the upper end of, a drilled shaft 64. At the lower end of shaft 64- is a spur gear 65. A rack 65 meshes with gear 65 and is supported by a horizontal reciprocating rod 68 operated by a cam follower it at its rearward end. The cam follower 10 engages a cam 12 at the lower end of a vertical rotating shaft 14 driven by gears 16 from the main sewing shaft of the machine in proper timed relation to the reciprocations of the needle.

Thesewing thread is led to the tip of the horn through the shafts M, 61 and 55, a central passage 18 in the shaft 20, a segmental radial opening 80 in the same shaft, a similar registering opening 82 in block 12, the perforation l4 and opening 26 in the work supporting plate 24. The segmental openings Bil and 82 extend through relatively large angles about the shaft 20 to prevent cutting or binding the thread in any positions of the parts.

In the machines of the patents above referred to, the presser foot and the feed point are not directly above the work supporting surface of the horn tip. To insure that the work in the present machine will be adequately supported beneath the presser foot and feed point, the plate 24 is provided with flanged portions 84 and 86, one of which extends in the line of feed in advance of the needle opening in the plate 24, and the other of which extends in the opposite direction with a continuous interconnecting edge past which the work may easily be guided.

The nature and scope of the invention having thus been indicated, and the construction embodying the invention having been specifically described, what is claimed is:-

,1. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its tip, and a thread 5 engaging member within the tip of the horn having a thread guiding portion about which a length of thread is wound in a curved path to provide a surplus between the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work.

2. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its tip and a thread engaging member within the tip of the horn having a thread guiding portion about which a length of thread is wound to provide a surplus betweenthe work and the needle as the threaded 0 hook of the needle is drawn through the work,

said thread guiding portion being formed with a convex-thread engaging surface surrounding the rotary axis of the horn.

3. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight;;hook needle and a rotary work entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its. tip, a member having. a thread guiding portion within the'tip. of the horn, and means for winding the thread about said portion to provide a surplus between the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work.

4. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices. including] a' straight hook needle and a rotarywork'entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its tip, a member having, a thread guiding portion within. the tip of the horn, the guiding portion being formed witha convex surface surrounding the rotary axis of the horn, and means for winding a loop of thread about said surface through a sufficient angle to provide, when released, a surplusbetween the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work.

5. A shoesewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn, a block in the tip of the hornhaving a needle receiving opening and mechanism for providing a surplus of thread between the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work comprising a thread guiding portion of said block, a shaft mounted in said block and an arm on said shaft for engaging the thread extending through the needle opening in the horn tip when the shaft isrotated to wind the thread about the guiding portion of the block.

6. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn, a block in the tip of the horn having a needle receiving opening and mechanism for providing a surplus of thread between the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work comprising a shaft rotatable in the block, a convex helical surface on said block surrounding said shaft, and an arm on said shaft for engaging the thread extending through the needle opening in the block when the shaft is rotated to wind thread about said convex surface and to release the thread at a point where said surface extends beyond the end of the arm.

7. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn, a block mounted within the horn tip for rotation about the rotary axis of the horn, needle threading means comprising a needle receiving opening in said block eccentric to the rotary axis of the horn, means for maintaining the needle opening in alinement with the needle when the horn is rotated, mechanism for rotating the needle when the hook of the needle enters the needle receiving opening, and means for providing a surplus of thread between the work and the needle when the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work comprising an arm rotatable concentrically with the horn axis in the block to engage the thread extending through the needle opening and a thread guiding portion of the block about which the thread is wound by the thread engaging arm.

8. A shoesewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitchforming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn, a block within the horn tip having a needle receiving opening disposed at one side of the rotary axis of thehorn, and means for maintaining the block in'a position with the needle opening in alinein advance of'the'needle, a rotary work entering horn, a work supporting plate having a needle receiving openingrotatably mounted onthe horn tip, meansfor maintaining the plate in fixed angular position as the horn is rotated, and a work supporting flange on said plate extending in-the line of 'feed from the needle opening beyond the side of the horn tip to hold the work in, cooperative relation to the work feeding devices.

10. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook needle and a rotary work entering horn, a block at the tip of the horn having a needle receiving opening disposed at one side of the rotary axis of the horn, means for maintaining the block with the needle opening in alignment with the needle when the horn is rotated, and means for threading the needle comprising mechanism for rotating the needle after it enters the needle opening.

11. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and work supporting devices including a straight hook nee- 33 dle and a rotary Work entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its tip, and a rotary disk within the tip of the horn having a peripheral thread guiding portion about which a length of thread is wound when the disk is rotated to provide a surplus between the work and the needle as the threaded hook of the needle is drawn through the work.

12. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and Work supporting devices including a straight hook needle an'd'a rotary work entering horn having a needle receiving opening at its tip, a circular rotary disk Within the tip of the horn having a peripheral thread guiding portion and an arm for engaging the thread to wind it about the disk as the disk is rotated, and means for disengaging the thread from the arm to provide a surplus of thread between the work and the needle as the threaded-hook of the needle is drawn through the work.

13. A shoe sewing machine of the McKay type having, in combination, stitch forming and Work feeding devices including a straight hook needle, a feed point, a presser foot acting on the work in advance of the needle, a rotary work entering horn, a Work supporting plate having a needle receiving opening rotatably mounted on the horn tip, means for maintaining the plate in fixed angular position as the horn is rotated, and a pair of work supporting flanges on said plate disposed to extend in the line of feed at opposite sides of the horn tip and formed to present a continuous edge past which the work is guided.

ERASTUS E. WINKLEY. 

